Sensory Services

The Sensory Impairment team provides services to residents with significant sight and/or hearing loss.

The team specialises in sight impairment, hearing impairment, and dual sensory loss. Together they provide an efficient and dedicated service promoting independence and wellbeing.

The team provide services for:

If you wish to refer yourself to the sensory team for support, please contact Access Harrow on 0208 901 2680 or email AHadults@harrow.gov.uk

Dual Sensory Loss Service

The Dual Sensory Loss Service has a Specialist Deafblind Service Officer who carries out assessments and commissions services for individuals living with sight and hearing loss. Their aim is to increase independence for anyone with sight and hearing loss. 
 
This applies to anyone living with sight and hearing loss in the London Borough of Harrow, with a medically diagnosed eye condition. There must be permanent and significant sight loss in both eyes in order to meet our criteria. However, the service users do not have to be registered sight impaired (partially sighted) or severely sight impaired (blind) to receive a service. This does not include individuals whose sight is corrected through spectacles or contact lenses. If hearing loss is having a significant impact on aspects of a person’s daily living, this may be improved by the use of a hearing aid following an assessment from an audiologist. Referrals to the audiologist can be made through the GP referral system.

Sight loss services

The sensory team provides specialist support for adults who live in Harrow who have a registered sight loss. This includes those who are severely sight impaired, blind and sight impaired partially, or sighted. We also provide advise for people who have a significant sight loss who are not registered. 

Our support enables those with sight loss to maintain as much independence as possible. Following a home visit we may provide:

  • guidance
  • equipment
  • counselling
  • adaptations
  • mobility training
  • support with technology
  • a rehabilitation programme
  • and sign posting to other departments or organisations.

We work with people with a sight loss and their families, to achieve positive outcomes at what can often be a difficult and worrying time.

We work closely with colleagues in other departments to ensure that people’s sight loss is taken into consideration when care services are being put in place.

Deaf Service

The Deaf Service has a Specialist Worker, fluent in British Sign Language to level 6 standard. They work with other social workers in Harrow Council's Adult Social Care teams which carry out assessments to provide services to profoundly deaf residents in Harrow. This promotes independence and wellbeing.

This service is available to anyone who is profoundly deaf living in Harrow. There are different degrees of hearing loss which determines the level of help needed. For this reason it is necessary to carry out an assessment.

Services include:

  • Specialist assessment of needs. These provide service users the opportunity to talk about their needs and to make sure they are provided with the right level of support for them
  • Specialist information and equipment to help service users to manage in their own home
  • Advice and information about organisations, agencies, and activities available locally
  • Support from a Specialist Deaf Service Officer for the Deaf to assist with practical and social challenges
  • Referrals on to other appropriate services/NHS teams
  • Weekly Deaf BSL service held at Milmans
  • Assessment for care and support and promote joint working with all social services teams including Housing teams, and recommendations on all specialist care packages and Sensory support needs.

The Deaf Service can be contacted by SMS, call, FaceTime or video call on 07825 693 524.

Hard of hearing service

The Sensory Services team also provide specialist equipment and or advice for hard of hearing people who live in Harrow with support and guidance through the registration process.